Kids grow up, they just do
by Breesecretdaughter
Summary: set between season four and five.
1. Penny's First Day of School

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. This story takes place during the five year gap between season four and five. I had no idea where this was going when I began writing, I just wanted to write. This was the result.

**They Just Do**

A story by** oc-lover-6**

* * *

Lynette was sitting on the swing on her front porch, taking in the fresh September morning. She woke up half and hour earlier than normal that day, so Penny, Tom and the boys were all still sleeping soundly upstairs. She glanced up from her coffee mug and saw her neighbour, Karen McCluskey, doing some early-morning gardening. She half-smiled and walked over to talk to her.

"Hey Karen."

"Hey, Lynette. I'm surprised to see you're not patrolling the kids for the pre-school routine."

"Yeah well, they're still asleep upstairs. I can't believe summer's already over."

"I know. It goes faster and faster every year, doesn't it? Just wait till you get to my age."

Lynette laughed nervously. "Yeah, well that day doesn't seem too far off, with Penny starting school today and the boys in fourth and fifth grade..." she trailed off. "I feel old."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. It's only going to get worse."

"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically.

"I know what you mean though. I remember babysitting Penny when she was a baby. This is the first year that I'm not going to have to babysit for you during the day anymore."

"Yep," Lynette realized.

Their conversation was interrupted by Tom calling, "Lynette!"

"I guess it's time to go wrangle the mob," Lynette joked. She turned and walked to the sound of her husband's voice.

"Penny needs you," Tom informed her when she entered the house.

"What, why?"

"She wants to pick the perfect outfit for her first day of school, and she won't let me help. She says that Daddy's don't know anything about clothes."

"Well, she's right. Go get the boys ready, okay? I want to have a family breakfast before their first day of school."

"Okay, good idea," Tom pecked her quickly on the lips and hurried back up the stairs. Lynette shook her head and smiled and went to help her daughter.

* * *

After the breakfast table was all cleared up, Lynette and Tom began helping their kids tie their shoes and do up their jackets. Penny was glowing with excitement after finding the perfect little pink dress and matching shoes to complete her outfit.

"Let's go, let's go!" she demanded, grabbing onto her mother's hand and pulling her towards the door.

"Are you excited to ride the bus with your brothers?" Tom asked his daughter.

"Yes!"

"Well, tell them to hurry up. You don't want to miss the bus on your first day," Tom joked.

Penny's eyes widened in shock, "Hurry up, slow pokes! Get your rears in gear."

Lynette choked with laughter at her daughter's antics. She heard Tom mutter, "like mother like daughter," to himself. Lynette shoved him out the door before taking her daughter's hand again and heading to the bus stop.

The boys ran ahead in their typical hyper behavior, leaving Tom hand-in-hand with Lynette who was hand-in-hand with Penny, walking shortly behind. Tom glanced over at Lynette and looked at her curiously. He could tell that she had something on her mind by the expression on her face. She was wearing a smile, but Tom could tell that it wasn't completely genuine. He let go of her hand, and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"When'sthebusgonnabehere? When'sthebusgonnabehere?" Penny demanded when they caught up with the twins and Parker at the bus stop.

"Should be any minute," Tom assured her. "You have everything you need right?"

"Sure do, Daddy," she said taking off her backpack. "It's all in here. Mommy helped me pack it all last night."

"Oh, okay sweetie."

"There's the bus!" Porter exclaimed.

Penny squealed with excitement and jumped up and down. She clapped her hands several times, before pulling her backpack back on. "I'm gonna get a seat with the window," Penny declared.

"Me too!" Preston shouted.

"Hey, no fair. You got the window seat last year," Porter whined. "I get it this year!"

"I'll race you to it!" Preston challenged. And with that, the twins zoomed out of sight and onto the bus, with Parker trailing close behind.

"Brothers," Penny sighed, shaking her head. "I hope that my class isn't full of boys. I'm tired of them."

"I'm sure you're going to make all sorts of friends," Tom smiled.

"Okay! Bye Daddy! Bye Mommy!"

"Wait, wait, wait. I need a goodbye hug," Lynette insisted. Penny ran to her mother and hugged her before hugging her father and running onto the bus. Lynette and Tom watched as the other kids filed on until the bus doors closed. Lynette saw Penny talking to another little girl as the bus pulled onto the road and drove away.

Tom glanced down at Lynette and kissed her on the cheek. "And off they go."

"Yeah, off they go," Lynette repeated, with a far-off expression.

"You okay?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you're okay."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine."

Tom raised his eyebrows at her in a manor so she could tell he wasn't going to forget his question. "It's just - I can't believe that this day is here."

"The first day of school?"

"No. Yes. I mean, this is the beginning of our kids growing up. They're all at the same school now, growing up so quickly. They're not babies anymore," she said as if she was realizing this for the first time.

"Oh, baby. Penny's only five."

"I know, but don't you feel like she was just born? I'm going to close my eyes one of these days and she'll be thirteen years old and resenting me for no reason."

Tom tried to make a joke, "That's not true. I'm sure she'll have a reason."

Lynette didn't laugh. Tom took her into his arms and rubbed her back. "Honey, stop worrying. You know that they love you. That's true now, it was true yesterday, and it'll be true no matter how old the kids get," he paused. "No matter how old _we _get."

She looked up into his eyes appreciatively and sighed. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"You're right. I'm over-reacting. I just want to tell them to stop growing up so quickly."

"Oh, honey. Kids grow up, they just do. There's nothing we can do about it. We just have to enjoy them being young now."

"I know. You can't turn back time, it's just weird to me that my kids are all too big to carry around. It's weird to me that Mrs. McCluskey isn't babysitting for us anymore while we're running the restaurant in the mornings. Don't you ever wish that they were babies again?"

"Well, we _could _always have more babies," Tom suggested.

"Don't even kid about that!"

"See what I mean? It's good that they're growing up but they're still going to be kids for a long time. They're still going to need their mom," he said rubbing his hand over her cheek. "And trust me, there's going to be times in the future when you want them to grow up faster and get the heck out of our house."

Lynette laughed and let herself fall into his arms. She immediately felt comforted when his arms embraced her tightly and didn't let go.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear. He kissed her forehead and then reached for her hand. They walked together, back up the sidewalk of Wisteria Lane until they reached their house.

"Is there any way that we could take the day off today? Lynette asked Tom. "I just want to spend it with you, without the kids. A day just for us. How does that sound?"

"Oh, I'd love to. Besides, I think Andrew can handle the restaurant until dinner hour. I'll call him and check."

Lynette smiled and nodded. She placed a lingering kiss on Tom's lips before passing him the phone and pulling him on the couch to sit down beside her, with her head placed on his shoulder.

**End - I might make this a non-continuous, multi-chapter fic filled with moments between season four and five.**


	2. 13 Teenagers !

Disclaimer: I still don't own this show or any of the characters.

**Teenagers**

a story **by oc-lover-6**

"Tom, do you have the cake?"

"Check."

"Presents?"

"Check."

"Camera?"

"Mhmm."

"Good, go start the car. The boys are already outside with the rest of the kids."

"Alright, what time do we have to be there?"

"We have the pool reserved from two until four, and then we rented a room at the rec centre for pizza and presents and cake. I've told you this about six times in the last twenty four hours."

"Sorry."

Lynette just laughed it off. "And you're driving the boys and I'm driving the girls."

"I know, I remembered that part. It's Porter and Preston's first boy/girl party."

"Well they are thirteen. It's about the time they start changing their mind about girls having cooties. Despite the fact that their father didn't think that until he was eighteen."

"Hey!"

"Well I'm just saying."

"You're _just _being mean."

"I'm just teasing you..."

Tom threw her a non-serious dirty look. Lynette just stuck her tongue out at him.

"MOM! DAD!" they heard Preston and Porter yell from outside their bedroom window.

"Time to go," Lynette said as she finished packing up her bag to bring to the pool and headed out their bedroom door.

* * *

"CANNONBALL!" Preston and Porter yelled in unison. They both disappeared under the water and resurfaced at the same time.

"Did you see that?" Preston directed to a girl sitting on the edge of the pool with two other girls.

Porter added, "Mine was better. Wasn't it?" to the same girl.

"Uhhm, they both sucked!" the girl responded.

Porter and Preston began to protest this comment when the three girls decided to show them up. One jumped in after the other, creating three perfect splashes in the pool.

"And that's how it's done," Tiffany declared when she came back up for air.

"Whatever. Ours were better, girls can't do anything as good as boys."

"Yeah!" Porter agreed.

Tiffany responded by splashing a bunch of water at the twins, who began to fight back.

Lynette watched her boys interacting with the other kids and shook her head. She smelt trouble. She knew all too well how little boys act when they have crushes on little girls, and by the look of it, her twins had a crush on the same girl. She shook her head and smiled before turning her attention to her two other children. Parker, now twelve, was helping Penny, seven, put on her water wings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tom approaching her at the bleachers were she was sitting.

"Party's going well, huh?"

"Yeah, looks that way," she responded.

"Good. I'm going in," Tom said.

"In the pool?"

"Yeah."

"No, no," Lynette insisted. "Sit with me."

"Why don't you come in the water?"

"I don't know. It's a kid's party, Tom. Plus, I don't have a bathing suit."

"Well if it weren't a kid's party, there would be a beneficial solution for me to that problem."

"Oh haha," Lynette feigned laughter. "Sit," she commanded.

Tom rolled his eyes, "Fine, fine. You win."

He sat down beside her, placing his arm loosely around her waist.

"I hope the boys are having fun."

"Oh, I think they are," Lynette said. "Although I think they're competing with eachother."

"What? For what?"

"The girl they both keep splashing."

Tom looked over at the boys and the girl, Tiffany. "I smell trouble."

Lynette laughed.

**This story is fun to write.**


	3. Date Night at the Movies

**Desperate Housewives is not mine. But maybe one day, I'll have my own show. And people will write this about mine! Haha.**

**Chapter 3 - date night  
Summer 2010  
Twins are- 12  
Parker -11  
Penny -8 (penny's age always messes with my mind. She's supposed to be atleast four years younger. Because when the boys were six she was at oldest two. But in season six they're like getting married to russian sluts and whatever so are atleast 20) And she's 11...makes no sense.**

Lynette walked into her and Tom's bathroom. She saw Tom shaving his face and went to greet him.

"Good morning," she hummed.

"Mornin'," he replied.

Lynette walked beside him at the sink and grabbed her toothbrush.

Tom finished shaving and rubbed his face dry with a towel. "So," he began, "what are you doing today?"

"Well Gaby, Susan, Bree, Edie, Katherine and I are supposed to play poker."

"Oh, fun."

"Yep."

"You?"

"Not sure. I wanted to take the boys to the park."

"Okay, and Penny?"

"I guess, unless you want to bring her with you?"

"Doesn't matter. She'll probably have more fun with you though."

"Okay. And tonight?"

"What do you want to do?" Lynette asked.

"Up to you, really."

"Do you want to go out? Dinner and a movie?"

"Hmm, it's been a while since we've done that. Okay. I'll call Karen and see if she'll babysit until ten."

"Great," Tom smiled.

* * *

"Hey babe."

"Hi," Lynette breathed. She was carrying Penny on her hips and holding bags of takeout.

"Takeout?"

"Yeah, well I thought we should eat with the kids so Karen doesn't have to feed them."

"Good idea. Here let me take those," Tom took the food.

* * *

"You look nice," Tom commented about Lynette's outfit and hair/makeup an hour later.

Lynette smiled, "You," she laughed. "You look like you're not ready to go..."

"I will be."

"Okay, movie starts in half an hour."

Tom went to his dresser and pulled out a clean collared t-shirt. He pulled off the one he was wearing, catching Lynette's attention as he did so. She raised her eyebrows at his upper body, appreciating his recent decision to start running again. Tom didn't notice her eyes on him, which was probably good. The movie started soon anyways, Lynette thought.

She saw he was struggling with the buttons a little, missing one and not lining the holes and buttons together properly. She took five steps and was in front of him, her open hands on his chest. "Let me," she whispered.

"Okay," Tom agreed.

He watched as she unbuttoned his buttons, then redid them up properly. She looked so sexy, he noted, with her hands sliding from his waistband up to the top of his chest. He thanked her when she finished with a quick peck on the lips.

"Let's go," he said, holding out his hand for hers.

* * *

"That was hilarious," Tom said about the movie.

"Yeah, Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, Chris Rock and David Spade - bound to be funny."

"And Maria Bello!" Tom added.

"Yeah, her too. I guess," Lynette joked.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. You just have such a crush on her!"

"Do not," Tom protested.

"Okay," Lynette teased.

"That movie makes me want to buy a cottage. We should do that."

"Okay, when we win the lottery and the kids decide not to go to college, we'll do that."

"Deal," he laughed.

* * *

They pulled into their driveway and got out of the car.

"Think the kids are driving Karen crazy?"

"Probably. But..."

"Well, I think we deserve another twenty minutes. Don't you?" Tom asked.

"Can't say I disagree," Lynette laughed.

"Coffee?"

"Kind of late," Lynette noted.

"Okay. I'm not hungry though."

"Me neither. We should go get the kids."

"Uggh, why did we have kids?" Tom joked.

"Uhm, you're the one that wanted them!"

"I know. I just miss spending time with just you."

"Yeah, oh well..." Lynette trailed off. Tom grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. She looked into his eyes and smiled before grabbing part of the fabric on his shirt in a loose fist and pulling him against her.

"Karen will be okay for another few minutes," Tom whispered into her ear before kissing her neck. Lynette didn't say anything but just let him kiss her while she rubbed her hands up his back. He smiled into her neck and Lynette sneakily ran her hands under his Tom. Tom gasped, her hands a little colder than he expected. "You're cold."

"Then warm me up."

Tom chuckled, "Okay."

He grabbed her hands into his and rubbed them together to warm them. "Better?"

"A little. Thanks."

Tom kissed her cheek. Their hands remained together in between their bodies. He moved to kiss her on the lips, but a bright light interrupted them.

"If you two want me to adopt your children, let me know, so we can make it official," Karen joked.

"Hey Karen," Tom and Lynette said.

"Where are the kids?" Lynette asked.

"Sleeping."

"Really?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, they fell asleep as soon as their movie ended."

"That's great," Lynette smiled.

"If you want, they can sleep over at my house," Karen said noticing Tom and Lynette's close proximity to one another.

"Uhm, not that's okay. We'll get them."

"Lynette..." Tom said regretfully.

"Tom, they're just going to fall asleep as soon as they get into their beds."

"That's true."

**Might continue this tomorrow. But it's 12:30 and I'm tired. **


	4. Penny's first date

**Kids Grow Up**  
**Chapter 4**  
**Penny's First Date**

Penny sat in her room on her bed. She was nervous, excited and anxious all at once because Dane finally asked her out. She had always liked Dane. He was funny, nice and caring. He was a baseball player, the best on the team. Her cell phone vibrated and she looked down.

_Fr: Dane 6:45 pm_  
_Penny, be there in a few. Just have to walk the dog_

Penny smiled. She got up and walked in front of her mirror. She was wearing fitted jeans and a pink t-shirt. She put her hair half up, with a french twist, leaving the bottom layer down and straightened. She was wearing makeup, but minimal makeup. Just a little eyeliner and white eye shadow. She adjusted her shirt before walking to the bathroom.

On her way there, she saw her mother sitting on her bed. She was holding the baby - or not really baby anymore. Piper was now four, but she was sick with a fever so Lynette was home early from work to take care of her during the night. Her dad was now working late shifts because they reopened Scavo Pizzeria. Things were great at the Scavo residence, a little empty for Penny's liking, but great.

Parker was away at school, studying literature and psychology. He was 20. The twins, both almost 22, were both engaged to two girls who couldn't be any more different.

Preston was with a smart french girl, Danielle, from Quebec. They met when he was away at school in New York.

Porter was engaged to an older woman, named Heather. She was from Nebraska, and was raised on a farm. She was also a twin, but a fraternal one. She was finishing up her last year at school and they were to be wed in the fall.

As for Piper, she was adored by the entire family. She was a little princess, unlike Penny who had always been sort of a tomboy.

In the bathroom, Penny touched up her makeup with a Q-tip and then exited. She met her father in the door frame.

"Hi Daddy," Penny greeted.

"Hi," Tom said.

Penny walked down to the kitchen and grabbed a little snack to eat before the dinner and movie.

* * *

"Did you see her?" Tom asked.

"See who?" Lynette asked, while repositioning a whining Piper in her arms.

"Penny!"

"Why - what did she do?"

"She - she's getting ready for her date," Tom emphasized the word date, with an obvious disliking.

"Oh, Tom..."

"We should go talk to her."

"And say what?"

"I don't know. I've never raised a teenage daughter who was dating boys before," Tom realized.

"Me neither."

"Well, I'm going to meet this boy. What's his name again?"

"Dane."

"Dane. Dane what?"

"I'm not sure."

"Okay, well come on, let's go downstairs before she leaves."

* * *

Penny placed her feet onto the chair beside the one she was sitting on. She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and looked at it. She wanted to text Dane to see where he was, but didn't want to sound desperate. She then saw her parents walking down the stairs out of the corner of her eyes.

"Hey Penny," Lynette said.

"Hey," she responded.

"Where's Dane?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. He said he had to walk his dog, but that was twenty minutes ago. I'm waiting for a text."

"Oh, okay."

"Where are you guys going?" Tom demanded.

"To eat at some diner, then to see a movie," Penny answered.

Tom accepted this answer, but Lynette could notice the worry in his eyes. She shook her head and then turned to Penny again.

"What time will you be home?"

"Probably 11:30 - 12:00."

"Okay."

Tom opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. He handed one to Lynette who didn't accept. "No, I'll have to wake up tonight for Piper." Tom put her beer back in the fridge.

"Penny?" Lynette asked.

"Yes?"

"This boy, how do you know him?"

"French class."

"Oh."

Penny reached into her purse for her phone.

_Fr: Dane 7:07pm_  
_Around the corner. Be ready :)_

"He's almost here," Penny informed her parents.

_

* * *

_

The doorbell rang. Penny went to answer it.

"Come in," she said. "I just have to grab my coat and purse."

"Sure," Dane said. He stepped into the front hall. He was wearing a Radio-head concert shirt and loose fitting jeans. He had a leather jacket too.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tom said from the family room window. "Nobody mentioned anything about a motorcycle," Tom panicked.

"Motorcycle?" Lynette asked, approaching him at the window.

"Is that Dane's?"

"Probably. Penny!" Lynette called from downstairs.

"I'm going to go talk to this kid."

Tom approached Dane at the front door, as Penny reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Penny, you're not riding on a motorcycle."

"What? Dad!"

"It's too dangerous."

"No, it isn't!"

"Yeah, Penny," Lynette agreed with Tom. "It is..."

"No! Dane's been driving it for a year. He knows what he's doing."

"I don't care," Tom said stubbornly.

"Mr. Scavo," Dane interrupted. "I assure you, I'll stay on the side streets, will drive under the speed limit and make sure that Penny's wearing her helmet at all times."

Tom still looked hesitant. Lynette approached her daughter. "You call if you need a ride."

"Okay mom, I will."

Penny put on her shoes and turned to Dane. "You ready?" she smiled.

"Yeah, let's go."

He reached for the doorknob, but Tom interjected. "Now, hold on."

"What?" Penny asked.

Tom didn't really have anything to say. Lynette raised her eyebrows questioning him. Tom crossed his arms. "I - goodbye."

"Bye," Penny said before pulling her jacket and closing the door behind her.

Tom turned to Lynette. "Can you believe that?"

" - what, exactly?"

"That kid."

"He seemed nice."

"He had a motorcycle."

"Yeah, I saw that. He also said he'd be careful."

"We shouldn't have let her go."

"Tom," Lynette said firmly while grabbing his lower arm. "If we didn't let her go, she'd just get mad and not talk to us for days. Do you really want that?"

"Well, it's better than her dying on some stupid teenage boy's motorcycle."

"We have to let her live her life. She'll be sixteen next week. If we're too strict, she'll resent us. Come on Tom, don't you remember being a teenager?"

Tom didn't respond. He never really dated as a teenager - not until he was eighteen. "Okay, fine, fine. You're right."

"I know," Lynette laughed. "Now come on, let's go put Piper to sleep."

* * *

Penny returned that night at 11:45. Her parents were both on the couch, watching TV.

"Hey," Penny said.

"Oh, hi!" Lynette said quietly. "Oh, we just got Piper sleeping soundly."

"Okay, I'm going up to bed."

"Alright," they answered.

When they heard Penny's door close, Tom turned to Lynette. "I hope it went okay."

"I'm sure it did."

Tom smiled. "When did all our kids get so old?"

"They're always getting older," Lynette answered. "So are we."

"Ahh, you're right."

"I'm always right," Lynette teased.

"Pffft. Well, _most_ of the time, I guess. But seriously, the twins are both turning 22 next week. Parker's 21. And now Penny's dating. I don't like it."

"Oh well. At least we still have Piper. She'll keep us young."

"We're not young. She's young," Tom motioned upstairs to Penny.

"Piper's twelve years younger than her."

"Why did we have so many kids?"

"It was your idea! How many times do I have to remind you of that?"

"Obviously, a few more."

"Well, we're not having any more," Lynette said.

"Okay, okay."

"I'm serious Tom. If we had a baby, I would want to die. It could be younger than one of our _grandchildren_."

Tom widened his eyes. "Can you imagine us as grandparents?"

"Oh, that almost already happened."

"What?"

"Oh, I never told you about Anne Shilling, did I?"

"Who?"

"Anne Shilling, the woman Porter was sleeping with like five years ago."

"He got her pregnant?"

"No, but she lied and said he did."

"What?"

"Yeah," Lynette sighed. "I'm glad we don't have teenage boys any more. I think I prefer teenage girls."

"I don't."

Lynette shook her head and laughed. "Why?"

"Because they date teenage boys! And we now both know well what they can be like."

"Tom, Penny's going to be fine. She's smart, she won't do anything stupid. And if she does, I'm sure she'll learn from it. I mean, she's sixteen, I doubt she's going to get into that much trouble."

"Lynette, what were you like when you were sixteen?"

Lynette choked. "You're right. We should talk to her."


End file.
